


Knighthood

by flipomatic



Series: Prospitian Times [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: AU, F/M, Medievalstuck, Prospitian Times, Rated T for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-08
Updated: 2013-04-30
Packaged: 2017-12-07 20:16:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/752622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flipomatic/pseuds/flipomatic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Are you going to kill me?" When Dave Strider became a knight, he thought his life was finally on track. His first mission was simple enough; find the witch haunting the village of Lofaf and kill her. But not everything was as it seemed. He never expected how much trouble knighthood could bring.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prospit

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everybody. So this is the first chapter of my first Dave Jade story. It is going to be part of an AU series I'm working on. I hope you all enjoy it.

I wiped my sword on the grass, not wanting to stain it's sheathe with blood. The fresh blood came free easily. A wolf was sprawled out on the ground in front of me; a steady stream of red dripped from its throat. It would not walk away from this fight. I remained uninjured. A light breeze barely disturbed the trees surrounding us. My armor glinted in the sunlight and a pair or specially made armored glasses covered my eyes, protecting them from the sun’s harsh rays. I forgot my helmet at home this morning; my scalp relished the warmth.

As I sheathed my sword I heard a slow clapping behind me, shattering the silence. I turned my head slowly; not wanting to seem startled. It was only Bro, so I allowed my muscles to relax.

“Good work, little bro.” He swung one arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. I grunted, but didn’t shove him away. “I was just talking to the panel; they want to see you.” Bro’s voice was serious despite his ever present smirk.

I tried to move away from Bro, but his arm was like a vice grip on my back. “Awesome.” I squirmed in his grip.

“Yep.” Bro started guiding me back towards town, hefting the still bleeding wolf corpse under one arm. “I can’t believe you grew up so fast.” He ruffled my hair with one free hand, and I was finally able to escape his grip.

“I’m not that old.” I fixed my hair; it wasn’t ironic all messed up like that. “I’m barely 18. You’re the one who’s old.” It was a low blow, but Bro and I often joked around like this.

He just shrugged, “Perhaps.” I was only about half a kilometer out of town, and we covered the distance quickly. Despite the warmth of the current season, the forest was quiet today. My armor rattled over the silence; the animals learned to hide from that sound.

The walls of Prospit stood at about ten meters tall; keeping even the largest creatures out. There were two gates in and out of the city, one in the north and one in the south. Bro and I entered through the north entrance, waving to the guards as we passed. They didn’t wave back. Only one of them stepped out of line to greet us, but all he wanted was the corpse so it couldn’t spread disease in the city. The Queen’s soldiers monitored everything coming in and out of Prospit.

Bro and I weaved through the dense crowds towards the palace. We strolled through the market, enjoying the smell of freshly baked bread as we passed. It was a nice change from the stench of dead wolf.

If I hadn’t seen the castle a thousand and one times, I might have marveled at its splendor. It rose above every other building in town, decorated with fantastic statues and a myriad of colors. Fantastic tapestries adorned nearly every wall, weaving vivid stories of war. I didn’t give any of it a second glance as the guards let us in the front. The panel resided in one of the rooms on the second floor, and it didn’t take long for Bro and I to reach it.

A heavy wooden door stood between me and my future. I gulped once before knocking.

“Come in.” A deep voice echoed. Bro gave me one last pat on the back, and I pushed the door open. Its hinges squeaked once as it moved.

As I stepped into the room, Bro shut the door behind me. It made that same pitiful sound, and I briefly wondered if this was a trap. It could be one last test, designed to kill those unworthy. But when I looked to the front of the room, the sight of the panel reassured me, if only slightly.

Seven men sat in a line, all facing me. Being the elders of our knighting program, each of them displayed a spectacular beard. This made me wonder why I had so much trouble trying to grow one; perhaps it was ironic. The room was only half filled with light; the few candles were placed behind the panel and allowed them to cast long shadows across the room.

“Young Dave Strider.” The man in the center addressed me, and I stood at attention while he spoke. “We have come to a decision on your knighthood. You have passed.” I smiled to myself, but didn’t relax yet; a knight must never let down his guard.

“Thank you sir.” I bowed once before making my escape. Something about the panel always made me nervous. The door didn’t squeak on the way out, or it could just be I didn’t pay it any attention. Bro stood on the other side with bated breath. I nodded at him once, and he broke out in a grin. It was contagious; I couldn’t help but grin as well. The next phase of my life was about to begin.

“Congrats little bro.” We walked away from the room together. “I knew you would make it.”

“Thanks.” It was like the world was lifted off my shoulders; I held my head high. “I have to go tell John.” My best friend would want to know immediately.

Bro chuckled, “see you later then.” He reached out to ruffle my hair again, but hesitated half way there and retracted his arm with a slight frown. I pretended not to notice and jogged away from Bro with one last wave, heading towards the practice courtyard to find John. The pair of us grew up together in this castle. We trained together ever since we were ten years old. I became a knight before him, but I was sure he would catch up soon. He should have been training, so that is where I went to look for him.

I was right. I found John hacking away at a practice dummy fervently. “John!” I called over to him. With one last violent thrust, he buried his sword in the dummy. When he turned to address me, he left it there. If the dummy could bleed, it would be dripping its life force all over the floor.

“Dave!” He practically skipped towards me. “Where’d you go today man? I thought we were gonna train together.” His lower lip stuck out beneath two buckteeth in an attention demanding pout.

I shrugged in indifference, “There was a wolf that needed killing, so I killed it.”

John sighed once, his pout fading. “I would have gone with you.”

“I needed to take care of it alone. It could have helped with my knight trials.” I grinned at the slightly shorter boy. “By the way, I passed.”

“Congratulations!” John slapped my shoulder. “I knew you would pass.”

“Thanks man.” We fist bumped.

“When’s the ceremony going to be?”

“I don’t know, probably this weekend.”

“Cool.” John’s smile shrank a few molars. “My trials will probably be next.”

“You’ll do great. After all, isn’t that what this extra training is for?”

“Yeah.” John turned back towards where he left his sword. “I should probably get back to that.” He waved one hand over his shoulder. “Later man. Say ‘Hi’ to Rose for me.”

I would do no such thing.

I left him to his training, wondering what I should do next. I ended up sitting in a window, watching the sun inch around the earth; ironically, of course.

After a while, my pondering was interrupted by Sir Scratch. He was an advisor to the queen, and also a celebrated knight. He carried a sword disguised as a cane, which he leaned on in everyday life. I’d seen him fight before; he didn’t need the cane. I was always careful around him; he had irons in all the fires. We only had a brief conversation on this occasion; he merely wanted to congratulate me and with me luck on my first mission, which was sure to come soon. It didn’t take long for him to leave me to my thoughts.

It was nearly sunset when Bro appeared beside me.

“Yo” I rose from my perch, brushing some dust off my armor.

“You ready to head home?” Bro questioned. I nodded and followed him out of the castle. We lived one block over, in a small one story house. My one year elder sister, Rose, lived with us. I had a second sister named Roxy, but a few years ago she got married and moved out. Nowadays, Rose looked after the house and kept everything in order. It was nearing time to arrange a marriage for her, and me as well, but I tried not to think about it. Bro still wasn’t married, and he was way older than we were. Nonetheless, I was determined not to tell her that John said ‘Hi’.

Rose had already set the table when we arrived home. She needed some help with finishing dinner, so after hanging my armor up I lent her a quick hand. I was okay at cooking; I could chop things up without cutting my fingers off, but most recipes were beyond me. There were only a few things left to do, and soon we sat down to eat together.

It was time to break the news. “Rose.” The dopey grin from earlier in the day returned to my face, “I passed.”

Her expression barely changed, but I could tell she was pleased. “When is the knighting ceremony?”

Bro answered for me. “I spoke with the knight master, it’s on Saturday. Afterward he’ll be given his first proper assignment.” He grimaced slightly; it was an extremely short period of time between knighting and assignment. Most young knights were given at least a day to rest.

“The king must have need of his talents.” Rose added between bites. This did not seem to relieve Bro in the slightest. If anything, the folds on his forehead furrowed a bit deeper.

“It’s not a big deal.” I waved one hand in the air, “I can handle whatever they throw at me. I’m a Strider, after all.”

“Yeah.” Bro returned to his food, a contemplative look on his face. Rose smirked at me and I rolled my eyes in return. We finished the evening peacefully.

* * *

Saturday arrived before I knew it, and I found myself contemplating what to wear for the ceremony. I didn’t want to seem too pompous, but it wasn’t exactly a casual situation. My usual armor was too dinged to suit the occasion, so I ended up wearing my only set of silk clothing. It was a little tight, but I made do. I left my glasses home.

I met Bro in the front hallway of our house. Rose wasn’t coming with us; females who didn’t work for the government were only allowed in the castle on official business. A knighting did not count. Bro looked me up and down as I approached, nodding once in approval. In his hands he held a sheathed blade. The hilt was embedded with a few gemstones, which meant this sword must have some value to it. I’d seen it before but couldn’t remember where.

“Here” Bro offered it to me. “This was our fathers. He would have wanted you to have it.”

I accepted it from him gingerly, unsheathing it an inch to look at the blade. It reflected my red eyes perfectly, and I hastily re-sheathed it. “Thank you.” I made sure not to stutter. I strapped the intimidating weapon to my hip, removing my old blade with a resolute nod. The heirloom sparkled in the sun as Bro and I made the brief walk to the castle.

A few people nodded at us as we passed by, though the guards were silent as usual. Bro snatched John on the way up. We made it to the throne room in no time at all. The herald announced our presence, and we were allowed to enter. Bro and John stood off to one side as I approached our queen.

Queen Peixes had been ruling our kingdom for 60 years. She had a firm handle on the government even before the King’s untimely demise. Her only heir was her granddaughter, Feferi Peixes. She ruled with an iron fist, and succeeded in expanding our territory without much bloodshed. The people loved her. All knights of the kingdom swore fealty to her upon coming of age.

I approached her with my head bowed; I could feel her fierce gaze on the top of my head. She rose from her throne and met me a few steps away from it. I kneeled in front of her.

“Dave Strider.” She addressed me, raising both arms slightly.

“Your Highness.” I somehow managed to respond. I realized that she needed my sword for the ceremony, so I unsheathed it and held it flat for her. She took it with one firm hand.

“Do you swear to serve the kingdom of Prospit with your life, in sickness and in health?”

“I do”

“Do you swear to serve the throne until your last breath, doing whatever it may require of you?”

“I do”

“Then I dub thee, Dave Strider, Knight of Prospit.” She brushed the sword over each of my shoulders. “You may rise and serve your kingdom.”


	2. Lofaf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm posting this a bit earlier than I planned to, but that's okay. It should be another week until chapter three.

_Day One:_

I stood slowly, and she handed the sword back to me.

“Thank you, your highness.” I bowed once and she dismissed me. I turned to walk out the door. Bro and John met me half way and we forced ourselves to stay silent until we were out of earshot.

“That was simpler than I remember it being.” I sighed in relief; the hard part was over.

“Well, it can seem that way.” Bro quipped, “We should get you to the knight master; he has an assignment for you.”

“I can find him on my own.” I nodded once, “You should go home and tell Rose how it went. Besides, the assignment probably won’t take more than a day. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Fine” Bro grasped my shoulder, “Good luck.” He released me and waved once, quickly vanishing from sight. John congratulated me as well before returning to his training, his pale face set.

I headed towards the knight master's room; he probably would be there at this hour. I knocked on his door, and he answered after a few long moments.

“Ah, Dave Strider.” He was a rather cranky guy and had a very short temper. His eyes were almost the same shade of red as mine. He also liked to swear profusely. “You are fucking late.”

“Sorry about that,” I shrugged, smirking slightly “I was being knighted.”

“That’s what they all say.” He grumbled. “Your assignment is to go to Lofaf for the witch hunt that recently started there. They were fucking complaining that the government isn’t helping them, so you have to go find their witch and kill her.” Then he slammed the door in my face. I blinked once in surprise, taking one step back. I could hear a scratchy female voice asking him who it was, and he responded that it was no one.

I went back home to tell Bro and Rose about the mission and to change into my armor. They didn’t really have anything to say, except to be careful and not get killed. Bro in particular was quiet, staring off into space thoughtfully. I put my shades on before leaving.

I packed up enough food for a week then went to the stables to get Equius. He was my loyal stallion, and though I didn’t ride him often, we had a close bond. I brushed his fur for a few minutes and fed him a couple nuts before putting his saddle on. I made sure to give the barn cat, a tabby named Nepeta, a pat on the head. She caught all the mice in the barn and got along surprisingly well with Equius. It was almost like he neighed a farewell to her as we left the barn. We set off out the south exit and I prepared for a long ride.

Lofaf was about 60 kilometers to the east of Prospit, and only had a population of about 300 people. I didn’t know they had a witch problem, but I was determined to do my job properly. Anyway, a witch hunt was the perfect first assignment for me.

The countryside was serene as Equius and I rode through it. Nothing dared to disturb a knight and his horse. The 60 kilometers would take about three hours at a decent pace, so we should’ve arrived before sunset. We saw a few small animals on the way; nothing really out of the ordinary.

I didn’t realize I had arrived until there was a house right next to me. A cow in a nearby field mooed loudly, seemingly angered with my presence. A sheepdog barked with it. Equius whinnied and stepped back, but I tugged his reigns to control him. Something about the town seemed to set him on edge. Maybe he missed the cat.

The city was mostly farmhouses with two roads running perpendicular through the center. There was a group of buildings huddled around these roads, so I headed there to start my search. I never actually met a witch before, so I wasn’t really sure what to look for. I figured the center of town was the best place to start, and I might as well check in with the local government. Though the Queen’s jurisdiction extended beyond this town, she permitted them to govern themselves locally as long as they paid tribute and followed Prospitian laws.

I trotted in slowly, and the few people out on the street stared with wary gazes. Equius’s hooves clacked against the cobblestones, producing the only sound for some distance. I didn’t pay the townspeople any attention until I felt an eerie prickling on the back of my neck. I spun my head and shoulders around, meeting a firm green stare. The person hid in a shadow between buildings, so I couldn’t make out his form. But his eyes were a vibrant green, and they glittered in the darkness. I looked away hastily; it was almost like he could see through my shades.

I rode over to the tallest building in town, since it was usually where the government resided. I tied Equius to a post before going in, trusting him to fight off anybody who might try to steal him. 

I was right; it turned out to be town hall.

There were two people inside, both sitting behind desks. Their placards read _Kankri Vantas: Mayor_ and _Porrim Maryam: Secretary_.  Porrim looked up as my footsteps echoed on the wood floors. She rose from her chair, smiling slightly.

“You must be Dave Strider. Welcome to Lofaf.” She nodded in greeting.  Her jade green eyes reminded me of the pair I had spotted, though they were a few shades deeper.

“Thanks” I approached her table. “I’m here to check in and get any information you might already have.” Kankri fidgeted in his seat to my right, adjusting his bright red sweater, and Porrim sighed at him.

“Very well,” she said, “Kankri will brief you on the situation.” She rolled her eyes before sitting back down.

Kankri tugged on the ends of his sleeves, gesturing for me to come over to him. He cleared his throat. “You see, Dave Strider, we have had a bit of a witch problem lately.” He tugged on the collar of his sweater as he spoke. The man did nothing to hide his red gaze, and I wondered if the people accepted that blindly. My eye color was certainly frowned upon at home.

“It could be a warlock.” Porrim interjected, glaring pointedly at Kankri. I resisted chuckling.

“A witch or a warlock.” Kankri glared back. “They have been living in close proximity with our town for some time now, and their familiar recently started terrorizing the citizens. We don’t know where they live, but I do have a rough sketch of the animal.” Kankri shifted through the piles of paper on his desk. He found the paper and handed it to me. It was a drawing of a large white dog, big enough to kill a man.

Kankri kept speaking. “The creature was spotted in town last week; it demolished Cronus’s house. We need you to find them, and kill them. The people have already voted on the witch’s punishment, so we are not infringing upon the witches rights.” The last sentence was said in a pompous tone, as if daring his counterpart to argue. She didn’t, but I could feel it coming.

I could handle this assignment; I had my own reasons to want to kill witches. “Alright, I’ll get started right away.”

“Excellent.” Kankri handed me another slip of paper, “You can stay in the inn down the street during your stay here, and the office will cover your bill.”

“Thank you very much.” I tucked the slips of paper into my armor and bid the pair farewell. As I exited, I could hear them start to argue about what kind of rights a witch should have had in the first place. I didn’t stay to eavesdrop.

I untied Equius from the pole and walked him over to the inn Kankri mentioned. Re-tying Equius across the street only took a few seconds, but they dragged as I forced myself not to look at the staring eyes. As I entered the front door, I could feel the green eyes watching me. I didn’t give them the satisfaction of my acknowledgment.

The inside of the inn had a musky smell to it, and was lit by the front windows and a few candles. There were some tables scattered about; only a few were occupied. What seemed to be a counter sat off to the left, and I weaved through the tables towards it. A young woman sat behind it. She adjusted her spectacles as she wrote fervently into a notepad. Her name tag read ‘Aranea’. After a moment of watching her write, I cleared my throat. When she looked up, her eyes were a dark cerulean.

“Can I help you?” She questioned, setting her quill aside.

I handed her the second slip of paper. “The Mayor sent me here.”

She read over the paper quickly. I couldn’t read her expression for sure, but it looked like her eyebrows furrowed slightly. I could’ve sworn her eyes flicked towards the door for one heartbeat. She opened one of the drawers of her counter and removed a metal key. “Fine. You can have room five for as long as you need.” She was still perfectly polite.

“Thank you.” I received the key from her and went to deposit my one bag into the room. There was one long hallway in the back with eight rooms attached to it, four on each side. I found room five easily and used the key to let myself in.

The room was small; it only contained a bed, a stool, and a candle, but that was all it needed. I dropped my bag on the stool and locked it in the room. I still needed to find somewhere to stable Equius before the sun went down.

It turned out there was a stable behind the hotel, so I left Equius in the care of a stable boy there. I still had a few hours until sundown, so I went walking around town. I still got a few stares from the locals, but less than I did earlier with my horse. I doubt many of them had ever seen an armored knight before.

There were 15 buildings in what I would consider downtown. One was the inn, another was the town hall, and at least two of them were some form of bar. The rest were stores or homes. The smashed home was all the way on the end, but the wreckage was abandoned. The house was completely demolished without a single wall still standing. I had trouble believing that a dog could have done this, but perhaps it was larger than the drawing implied. If so, I might have a tough time beating it.

I walked the entire downtown area, but I didn’t see anything I would consider strange. No witches and no giant dogs appeared in my path. I was heading back to the inn when I sensed the same pair of green eyes watching me yet again. Since the sun was setting, the shadows from the buildings ran deep and bled together. In between two of the buildings, the green eyes stared out at me.

I wasn’t going to put up with this anymore. It could have been the giant dog, that damn devil beast, so I put one hand on my sword hilt. The green eyes widened as I approached; clearly he wasn’t expecting my reaction. He probably though I hadn’t noticed him there. I drew my sword and took a deep breath. This would be my first battle as a knight; I was ready.

My heart skipped a beat and I stopped in my tracks as he stepped out of the shadows.

I mean, as _she_ stepped out of the shadows.


	3. Jade

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made it four days this time guys.

As the young woman stepped out into the light, I quickly sheathed my weapon. She stood at a few centimeters shorter than me, with dark, sleek hair down past her shoulders. Over her vivid green eyes she wore spectacles; a round clunky set which somehow suited her. I stared, but only for a moment; knights do not stare at strangers. If I hadn’t been wearing a helmet, I would’ve run my fingers through my hair nervously.

“Hello,” she grinned, displaying two endearing front buckteeth. “You’re new in town, aren’t you?”

I cleared my throat. “Yeah,” I tried to play it cool, “I’m not from around here.” I removed my hand from the sword hilt, not quite sure what to do with it, and let it settle by my side.

She leapt forward, one hand outstretched. I accepted it reluctantly, and she shook my hand vigorously. “My name’s Jade. It’s nice to meet you!” Her hand was so small; I could nearly encase it with one of my own. Her hand had a line of callouses, a sign of a hard worker.

“Dave Strider, knight of Prospit.” My hand missed her warmth as she pulled away; I hesitated in letting her retreat.

“Ooh, a knight.” Jade grasped both hands behind her back, leaning towards me slightly. As she entered the space, my personal bubble popped silently. The setting sun glinted off her glasses with the new angle. “So cooool.”

I couldn’t help but smile slightly, though I did slouch back a few inches. “Well I’m hunting for this creature.” I showed her the paper and her eyes widened slightly. “And a witch. Have you seen them?”

“Hmm…” she looked thoughtful as she placed one hand under her chin. “I can’t say I have. But I did hear that it destroyed Cronus’s house.” She shrugged once, stepping away. My personal bubble reappeared with vigor. “Sorry I couldn’t be more help.” Jade backed away into the shadows before I had a chance to reply. I reached out with one hand, as if that could stop her, and after a heartbeat of silence I followed her into the shadows.

“Wait a mo…” I was too late; she was gone. My hand swept through empty darkness. I sighed, turning around to head back to the inn for the night. Before I could move, I heard a distinct growling from behind me. It was a few pitches lower than any growl I’d heard before, and it echoed ominously off the walls beside me.

Wishing I had kept my sword unsheathed, I spun around and smacked whatever was attacking me in the face with the hilt. I pulled the sword all the way out of its sheathe and retreated into the light. The creature followed, undeterred by the blow.

On all fours, it came up to my chest plate. On its hind legs, it would stand taller than my head. The white beast slunk out of the shadows with its hackles raised. I could see every one of its sharp teeth in position to rip my throat out. It crackled with strands of green energy, unlike any beast I’d faced before. This creature was really strange. As it circled around me, the few people on the street screamed and ran away frantically. I hoped Jade made it away safely; she left in the same direction the creature came from.

It lunged at me, so I moved my weapon to block, and its teeth clamped down on my sword. For a moment, I thought this would be a great chance to kick it or something, but that was before it chomped down through my sword. Its teeth came together and my sword snapped in half with a sickening screech. The front half clanged onto the cobblestones, and I leapt sideways to avoid being bitten.

What a legendary piece of shit, I thought to myself, after only one blow this sword was already broken. But my father left it to me, and I couldn’t just discard it. I brandished it at the dog, because let’s face it, this thing looked more like a dog than anything else. I lunged towards the beast, hoping to end this with one blow. Before I could reach it, its ears shifted back on its head and it vanished in a flash of green light. I fell right through the space it previously occupied, youth rolling to save composure.

It must have used magic to escape. My muscles tensed as I looked around to see where it disappeared to. I didn’t see or hear it anywhere, so I relaxed slightly.

The end of my sword sat unceremoniously in the dust. I scooped it up, wondering if it was even worth fixing the thing. Probably not; if it broke this easily then it was probably trash anyway. But I didn’t bring another sword with me, so the broken half would have to do for now. I put the end in the sheathe first so I wouldn’t lose it and the bottom half of the sword soon followed.

The townspeople started reappearing from their hiding places, but I didn’t stop to chat with them as I headed back to the inn. I arrived as the sun made its final descent of the evening, completely vanishing beneath the horizon.

I went back to my room, where I took off all my armor and collapsed on the bed. I forced myself to get up and eat some of my rations, but after that I took a well deserved rest.

* * *

_Day 2:_

I woke violently, my pulse accelerated wildly and a line of sweat dotted my brow. I hadn’t had that nightmare in a long time; I didn’t miss it. I wiped one hand across my forehead, wiping away the residual sweat. I took a few shuddering breaths, setting the thought aside. I wouldn’t need any distractions for today.

I put my armor on piece by piece, insuring that my shades were firmly in place before I ventured out of the room. Once I was in the main room, I went over to Aranea to ask some questions. We had already met, so it would be easy to start with her.

“Good morning.” She was reading a book today; she didn’t even have to look up to greet me.

“Mornin’.” I didn’t waste any time, leaning with one hand on the counter. “Do you know where I can find Cronus?”

She put a paper in the book, shutting it to give me her undivided attention. “I heard the witch knocked down his house.” She raised one eyebrow at me.

“I heard that too.” I ground my teeth together. “Where is he staying now?”

Aranea paused for a few tense seconds. “With Meenah.” She said hesitatingly and waved one hand towards the road. “If you leave here and turn right, her farm is about ten minutes out of the center of town.” She frowned as if already regretting giving me this information.

“Thank you.” I nodded once before making my leave. The sun was completely up when I got outside; I slept later than I intended to. I turned right and walked away from the group of buildings. The first farm I came to had a sign labeling it **_Property of Meenah Peixes. No Trespassing or I will stab you with a trident!_** The name on the sign matched the person I needed to find, so I went onto the property to knock on the door. Hopefully they wouldn’t mind a call this early. It didn’t mean anything to me at the time, but the surname of this person matched that of the royal family.

I knocked three times, and didn’t have to wait long for someone to open the door. A tall woman answered the door, her dark hair braided in pigtails down to her waist and her chin held high. Her eyes were a striking shade of purple. She carried a trident nearly as tall as she was. This must have been Meenah.

She looked me over and raised one eyebrow. “Whatcha need kid?”

“I am looking to speak with Cronus about the witch.” I ignored that she called me a kid, crossing my arms over my chest. “Aranea said he was staying here.”

“Well if Serk’s said it, then it must be true.” She pointed over her shoulder with one thumb. “’e’s working the fields. C’mon, I’ll take you to see ‘im.” She left the trident leaning against the house and I followed her around the house and to the back. She had a fence running around a decent amount of land. Out in the center of the field some guy dressed in purple was attacking the ground with a hoe. “Cronus!” Meenah shouted at him, “Some guy’s ‘ere to see you.”

He shuffled towards us, smoothing his hair back in the process. It had a single streak of purple running through it; obviously dyed with some kind of berries. He was only about half way to us when he shouted back. “Vwat does he vwant?” He spoke with an accent I'd never heard before.

“I dunno.” Meenah laughed loudly, and I leaned away slightly. Cronus finally made it over to us with a huff.

“Vwat?” He scowled as if it was going out of style, running one hand through his hair again.

“My name is Dave Strider; I’m a knight of Prospit. I was sent here on a witch hunt.” I reached to shake his hand, but he didn’t reciprocate. He just grimaced at me like I was dirt stuck to the bottom of his shoe. I didn’t notice Meenah flinch when I mentioned Prospit. “I heard your home was destroyed by the witch, so I came by to have a little chat.”

“Yeah, that vwitch sent her damn devwil dog to destroy my house. One minute, I’m just sitting, minding my ovwn business, and the next, my house is collapsing around me. Now I gotta spend all my time working on Meenah’s farm like some kind of slave.” He huffed and leaned on the fence, glaring at the girl. She stuck her tongue out at him.

I sighed. “Do you know why the witch attacked you? Do you have any clues as to her identity?”

“I don’t knovw.” Cronus shrugged. “None of the people in tovwn could be the vwitch. Maybe Meenah here but other than that…” She flicked him, and he hesitated for a moment. “I dated every girl in town, and not one of them is magic.” He smirked smugly, smoothing his hair back again.

“I suppose they all have a reason to hate you then.” I speculated, crossing my arms. “Who did you date most recently?”

“Let me think for a moment.” He looked at Meenah, then off into the sky. “Jade Harley.” He tapped one fist into his other palm. “It vwas little Jade Harley. Vwell,” he chuckled, “She’s not so little anymore.” My stomach clenched uncomfortably as my mind flashed to the day before; to the girl I met on the street. She seemed a little young to date this guy.

He continued talking, “But she can’t be a vwitch; she grevw up in this tovwn. After her brother movwed to Prospit, the rest of the tovwn raised her. It’s just not possible.” I agreed with him; there was no way she was the witch. Any witch worth their salt wouldn’t talk to a knight in broad daylight.

“Alright, thanks for your time.” I waved goodbye to the pair, not spending enough time to watch Cronus go back to his work. Meenah watched me go, once again raising one eyebrow. She grabbed her trident from the porch and followed me, entering the inn after I passed by it.

As I walked through town, I was disappointed with my lack of leads. I wondered what I would have to do to get the dog to attack me again. Maybe walk into the shadows. But at this time of day, there weren’t many shadows to walk in. I ended up standing on the corner of the intersection in the center of town.

Every once in a while, a townsperson walked by and I would ask about the witch. But none of them ever had anything new to say. A few of them even complemented me on my fight with the beast. After a couple of long hours doing this, I saw a familiar face.

Jade carried a basket with her today. It was covered with a folded blanket, so I couldn’t see what was inside it. As she skipped down the street, I tried not to seem creepy as I watched her. I failed.

“Hi Dave!” She got within a few inches of me, and I could feel my cheeks flush slightly. “Doing anything cool today?”

I swallowed once, taking half a step backwards. “Not really.” I straightened my helmet. “Just talking to some people.” I crossed my arms as she leaned in closer.

“Like who?” She asked with a wide grin.

“Cronus and a few others”

Her grin shrunk a few molars and she suddenly backed out of my personal bubble.

“Oh.” She glanced in the direction of Meenah’s farm. “Yeah, I heard Meenah's working him to death.” She almost looked wistful.

“Yeah,” I sighed, “But he didn’t have anything new to say.” I uncrossed my arms, adjusting the sword on my belt.

“That’s too bad.” She fixed her eyes onto my shades. “Do you want to hang out? You must be bored with standing on this corner.”

I considered it for a moment; I wasn’t likely to learn anything else today by standing here, and she was connected to the destroyed building. The fact that she placed one hand on my arm didn’t affect my decision, not one bit.

“Why not.” I smirked. Her grin returned with vigor. Jade grabbed one of my hands and started dragging me down the street. I didn’t resist too hard, but damn, that girl was strong.

She dragged me about 20 meters to one of the stores, telling me to wait outside since she had a quick errand to run. She was only in the store for a minute, and when she emerged her basket had gained some weight.

I didn’t let her drag me after that; we simply walked side by side. If we were in Prospit, John would have prodded me and asked if I was courting her, but this wasn’t Prospit.

As we walked, we talked. I learned that she lived on a farm just out of downtown, her favorite color was red, and she had one sibling; they were fraternal twins. I ended up telling her about Bro and Rose, about how my favorite color is green and how I enjoyed rhyming in my free time. Her hand hovered a few inches from mine the entire time. It was close enough that I could imagine the feel of her fingers in mine, but far enough away that I wasn’t sure if she really meant it. I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to form this relationship.


	4. Time Passes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everybody who left me these awesome kudos.

_Day 3:_

Jade Harley didn’t seem to care if I wanted it. When I woke up and left the inn the next morning, she was leaning against the wall outside. She had the same basket as the day before hanging on one arm, with the same checkered blanket folded neatly inside it.

I greeted her with a nod, and she grinned up at me enthusiastically. “Hi cool kid!”

“What can I do for you today?” I leaned against the wall next to her, a smirk forming on my face.

“I had a lot of fun yesterday,” she glanced out at the street, a slight pink appearing on her cheeks. “And I was wondering if you wanted to hang out for a while today?” The pink darkened a few shades; I wanted to see more of that color.

“Sounds like fun.” I had enough time to hang out with her and search for the witch. “But I can only hang out until noon.”

Her smile faltered a bit, but recovered so quickly I could’ve imagined it. “Awesome!” She wrapped one petite hand around my armored arm; her fingers didn’t reach all the way around. “We should go sit in the fields; Latula never minds when I have picnics on her property.”

Despite my hard armored shell, I was like rubber putty in her hands. After about ten minutes, I found myself wondering if she had planned this all along.

She spread the checkered blanket out on the grass, also removing a loaf of bread, some meat, and some cheese from the basket. She sat me down on the blanket, and we shared the meal. I learned that she liked physics and dogs of any size. She wanted to move to Prospit and find a job there, but never could gather enough money to do so. I ended up sharing that I liked music of all genres; not only the traditional classical. I also told her that I was a cat person, though I could tolerate some dogs.

The time passed quickly, faster than I intended it to. Noon came and I forced myself to bid Jade farewell.

I laid one kiss on her hand before leaving, and she blessed me with a scarlet flush.

If I’d looked back, I would have seen the vacant look on her face as I vanished over the horizon.

By the time the sun set, I wished I had stayed with Jade all day. Not only did I fail to find any new leads, but Aranea started giving me dirty looks every time I came in and out of the inn. I wasn’t really sure why.

* * *

_Day 7:_

If I thought Aranea was giving me dirty looks after three days, I was wrong. Seven days seemed to be her limit. She was polite whenever I spoke to her, but I could feel her anger from across the room whenever I walked by. I couldn’t think of anything did to make her despise me.

While Aranea grew distant, Jade and I grew closer. We spent every morning together all week, walking, talking, and occasionally holding hands. I’m not a sap, but her hand felt really good in mine. I imagined that her lips would feel good on mine as well, soft and tender, but these were inappropriate thoughts. We weren’t even properly courting.

I might’ve lied about not being a sap.

But when I left the inn this morning, she wasn’t there. I felt a distinct pang of disappointment as I looked around, wondering if I assumed too much. Perhaps it was time to take initiative.

I wandered to the edge of town, spotting some flowers growing along the road. I didn’t know what kind of flowers they were, but they were colorful and pretty. I picked a few of them, holding them gingerly in one hand; I didn’t want to crush them after all.

I carried the flowers back into town with me, determined to give them to Jade when I saw her. If I found someone to court on my own, then Bro wouldn’t be able to force me into an arranged marriage. Jade seemed like the perfect candidate. My heart soared at the thought. Damn I was a sap. I had only known this girl for seven days and I was already thinking about marriage.

I had just made it back to the center of town when I saw a familiar face. It wasn’t the face I was expecting to see.

John Egbert stood in the center of town, chatting sociably with a few of the locals. He wasn’t wearing his armor or his sword, or even the symbol of Prospit. I took a few steps towards him, but hesitated. I wondered what business he could possibly have in this town; knights in training were never sent anywhere without a knight to accompany them, but he was alone. Based on how he was dressed, he was probably here without orders.

My curiosity won out, and I strode over to John confidently. “Hey John!” I practically shouted from a few feet behind him.

He flinched violently, one hand flying to his sword as he spun around on the spot. “Dave?” He said my name like it was the most confusing question ever, releasing his grip on the sheathed weapon. “What are you doing here?”

“That’s what I should be asking you.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest as I tried to keep my face expressionless.

“Oh, nothing much.” He shrugged, the smile on his face not reaching his eyes. “Just passing through really.” He shifted his feet nervously, clearly hiding something. My awesome Strider-ness allowed me to see through his lies. “What about you man?”

“My assignment is here.” I said bluntly. “I’m hunting a witch.” I raised one eyebrow over my shades, taking note of his constantly changing expressions.

“Oh.” His face paled slightly. “Really? I didn’t know they had a witch problem here.”

“Me neither man.” I shrugged, still not uncrossing my arms. “But apparently she destroyed somebodies house. And I had a battle with her familiar.”

“Oh.” The oh was quieter this time, almost completely silent. Johns face was completely pale, as if all the color had been sucked out. “Well, that’s a good first assignment, I suppose.” He chuckled awkwardly. “I have to go. But it was good seeing you here.” John backed away from me before practically running off down the street. The townspeople he had been talking to before waved goodbye to him halfheartedly.

I wasn’t stupid, so I followed him. Clearly, something was up with this situation. The way his face paled when I mentioned the witch; that was no coincidence. I didn’t want to believe it though. There was no way my best bud could be involved with witches.

He walked out of town, looking around shiftily as he went. I was careful to stay in the shadows, far enough away so he didn’t spot me. John went north out of town, stopping at the closest farmstead. He knocked on the door, taking one last glance behind him to look for followers. I was well hidden behind a bush, so he didn’t notice me.

The person who answered leapt on him, hugging him eagerly. When I saw their face the flowers fell out of my hand.

They hit the ground with a muffled thud, scattering from their group. I didn’t care though, and my hands clenched and unclenched soundlessly at my sides.

Over Johns shoulder, I could see the face of Jade Harley. Her eyes shined with joy as she held him in her arms, and he returned the hug with just as much energy. I couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but I could imagine.

I turned my back on the scene; not wanting to intrude upon their happiness. I thought that when I became a knight, things would be different with John. But it turned out that nothing changed. He should have made knight before me, and I was fooling myself into thinking anything different. He got all the girls before I even had a chance to meet them. I couldn’t even find that damn witch.

I was no hero.

I scuffed my toes on the cobblestone road, walking back into town with my shoulders slumped. I wandered through town aimlessly, not even bothering to search for the witch. My thoughts were disjointed; jumping from place to place. I couldn’t believe Jade would lead me on like that. But it wasn’t her fault; I was a fool. I just didn’t ask the right questions. But I needed to make sure; I couldn’t just let this go.

I forced myself to walk back the way I came from, back to Jade’s home. I made it there quickly, but hesitated once I stood in front of the door. Maybe this was a bad idea, but I needed to know. If there was actually nothing between us, then that would be the perfect way to re-focus on my mission.

I knocked firmly three times, forcing my hand to steady itself.

It only took a moment for Jade to open the door. She seemed happy, happier than I had ever seen her. “Hey Dave.” She grinned, “What brings you out here?”

I almost expected her to ask how I found her house. “We need to talk about something.”

“Oh no.” Jade stepped towards me, closing the door behind her. “What happened?” She frowned as I backed away from her.

“Did you have a visitor today?” I cut straight to the chase. I needed to know if she would answer honestly.

“Yeah,” she still seemed confused, tilting her head slightly. “I did, but he left a little while ago.”

I clenched my fists. “Who is he to you? Because if you don’t want me here, I can leave and you’ll never see me again.”

Her eyes widened, and she stepped towards me again, shortening the distance between us. “No, it’s not like that! Please don’t go.”

I was about to protest that if she already was courting John, then it wasn’t proper to court me. Besides, she’d be happier with him anyway. But before I could, she kissed me.

Her lips were just as soft as I imagined they’d be, and I couldn’t help but kiss back. Maybe I was just being manipulated again, but for those few seconds, I didn’t care.

After a moment, she pulled away, breathing slightly heavier than before, a bit of pink dusting her cheeks. “The guy who was here earlier, he’s my brother.” She smiled softly at me, and I realized how familiar those front buckteeth looked.

“What!” I was dumbfounded; John had never mentioned any siblings or where he came from, and it never bothered me. I just accepted that he didn’t want to talk about it.

“Yeah,” she looked off down the road, where John probably went when he left. “He only comes to visit about once a year, so when he wrote saying he was coming I was really excited. I didn’t realize that would bother you.” She smiled up at me with that last sentence, and I looked away, feeling my face flush.

“Well I know that guy,” I sighed. “We trained together for a long time.”

“You’re so cool, Dave Strider.” She giggled, and it was the most endearing thing I have ever heard.

I looked back into her eyes; and suddenly everything was clear to me.

I reached out for both of her hands. “Listen, I had some flowers but I lost them on the way here. Do you want to go to Prospit with me? You said you always wanted to go there and I…” I trailed off, not wanting to sound desperate. The proposal didn’t come out exactly how I wanted it too, but I’m pretty sure she got the idea.

She stared at me in shock; eyes wide and mouth open slightly. It was a lot to take in, I knew. After a few tense seconds, she withdrew from my grasp. “I-I have to think about it.” She stuttered slightly, retreating into her house. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” The door slammed in my face.

Well, that didn’t go well. I was so stupid. All I was good for was rejection.

I turned to go back to town, feeling even worse than I did before. Why did I think that was a good idea, why? My feet dragged against the cobblestones, kicking up small puffs of dust with every step. When I was almost back to town, I heard a familiar growling from the bushes.

It was about time.

That damn devil beast was due for a rematch, and I had a lot of anger to burn.


	5. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everybody for reading this story and a double thank you to everybody who left me kudos. This is the last chapter in this part of the story, but there will be more of Prospitian Times to come. Stay tuned.

The creature leaped out of the bush, lunging towards me, but I was ready for it. I whipped the broken sword out of its sheath, bringing it down on the beasts head. It flashed out of existence before I could make contact, reappearing a few meters away.

It lunged again from the side, and this time I was able to slice into its shoulder. It managed to get a claw on my arm during the exchange, but my armor protected me. Green blood spurted out all over the ground, and it retreated about five meters to stare at me in shock. It didn’t seem like anybody had ever injured it before. Maybe this sword wasn’t such a legendary piece of shit after all.

I leaped towards the devil beast, but misjudged my swing. The sword went right over its head, giving it a perfect opportunity to strike. I didn’t have a chance to jump back before it bit me right in the stomach. My armor should have protected me, but the animal’s teeth cut through it like it was butter. It turned out that the teeth were a lot stronger than the claws.

I managed to break away from it; stabbing it in the back with my stub of a sword caused it to release me. I pressed one hand gingerly to my stomach, and it came back crimson. The creature was no better off; it dripped green fluid everywhere. My stomach pulsed with pain, but I forced myself to ignore it. If I didn’t take this creature seriously, then I would end up dead on the side of the road.

We circled a couple times, trying to find an opening to strike. It seemed rather intelligent for a beast. We moved forward at the same time, and my extra reach allowed me to land another hit.

I sliced open its other shoulder, hitting deeper than any of my other strikes. It recoiled, collapsing onto one side. Green energy crackled around it and its breathing was heavy as it struggled to get back to its feet. I pointed my sword at it, preparing to deliver the final blow before it had a chance to.

“Farewell, you damn beast.”

I swung down at it, but before my blow could connect, something leapt on me from behind. Two arms wrapped around my neck, dragging me sideways. I moved with the motion, dropping my weight to the ground. Whoever was holding onto me fell with me, and released me with a grunt.

I rolled away from them, leaping to my feet and turning so I could face both my opponents. The newcomer was of human size; they wore a cloak with a hood pulled over their face. They scrambled to their feet, rushing over to the beast. I pointed my sword at the pair, taking a moment to catch my breath. The figure ran their hands over the beast’s cuts, assessing the damage and making note of the green fluid flowing everywhere, before turning to face me.

I couldn’t see their face under the hood, but when they spoke I recognized the voice. “Leave Bec alone!” They threw their arms out as a shield, and my whole body froze. I could feel each pulse of my heart in the silence that followed; each second that ticked past was more painful than the last. I resisted the urge to compress a hand onto my still bleeding stomach.

“Jade?” I forced myself to say her name. “Is that you?” I prayed she said no; that her voice was only similar to this person. My prayers went unanswered.

She pulled the hood off her head, and I nearly dropped my sword. Jade didn’t say anything, she only stared at me.

I stepped towards her, putting my broken sword near her throat, forcing her to her knees. I couldn’t believe this; she was under my nose the whole time. She probably even knew I was hunting her, and just led me on for the laughs.

“Are you going to kill me?”

My right hand started shaking, and I put my left one over it to settle the motion. The tip of the broken weapon brushed her neck, making a small red scratch. My hands recoiled violently, though rather involuntarily, dropping the weapon in the dirt. It landed with a muffled clang.

“You’re a witch.” I managed to spit out, “It’s my duty to kill you.” I gave in and pressed one hand to my oozing wound; keeping my composure no longer mattered that much.

“Maybe I am!” Jade spat back, crossing her arms as she jumped up and glared at me. “But I never meant any harm to this town or anybody in it. You don’t have to kill me.”

“What do you know?” I hissed. “Witches only bring destruction. There was a woman in Prospit; she worked for my parents." Oh no, it was all spilling out. I couldn’t control it. “She seemed normal on the outside. But she wasn’t, she was a witch. One day, when they closed up their store, her familiar killed them. I sat at home with my siblings, waiting for them to come home, but they never did. She killed ten more knights before they took her down.” I fell onto my knees, clutching my face with both hands and trying to not let the tears out. “Witches are evil.”

I felt a warm hand on my cheek. Jade stood over me, tears glistening in the corner of her eyes. “I’m sorry.” She fell forward onto her knees, wrapping both arms around my quivering shoulders. I returned the gesture slowly, forgetting for a moment who I was holding. “We’re not all like that. I never wanted Bec to destroy Cronus’s house, and I made him promise to help rebuild it when the time comes. I also told him not to attack you, but it seems like he disobeyed me. I’m so sorry.”

I jerked backwards out of her grasp, falling onto my ass. “I…” I couldn’t form a complete sentence, only managing one word. Jade reached forward and gently removed my shades, wiping away the tears I totally wasn’t actually crying.

“It’s ok.” She was crying too. She stood up, brushing off her cloak, and reached with one hand towards me. I accepted it, and stood back up. The world spun slightly, but quickly righted itself. I took my shades out of her grasp, though she wasn’t holding them too hard, and placed them back over my eyes.

I wondered what I should do. She was a witch, and I was supposed to kill her, but she was also my friend. Maybe more than a friend. I couldn’t kill her, I just couldn’t. The kingdom would forgive me somehow.

I spun around, turning my back on Jade. “Whatever.” I scoffed, “But if your damn dog destroys any more buildings, I’ll be back.”

“Thank you.” She sounded relieved. “But even if he doesn’t, will you ever return?”

“Perhaps.” I picked up my sword and started walking away. “Maybe when things calm down.” I waved one hand behind me. “See ya.”

“Goodbye, cool kid.”

I didn’t turn back to see her scoop up her familiar. I didn’t see her tears as she trasversed the dusted the path back to her house. I didn’t see how she looked back to watch me vanish from her sight.

I got back to town quickly, though a bit slower than usual, and it didn’t take long to get my stuff from the inn. I made sure to clean and bandage my injury properly so it wouldn’t get infected. Who knew what was on that dog’s teeth. I bid mildly pleased Aranea a brief farewell before fetching Equius from the stable. I tipped the stable boy and rode Equius out of town towards Prospit. The whole world felt muted; as if my senses were only working at half capacity.

After about ten minutes, I turned Equius around. I couldn’t leave this unfinished. I rode back to town, barreling straight through. It didn’t take long to reach where Jade lived.

“Jade!” I shouted loudly. Equius whinnied in unison.

Jade appeared in the door, her hands and arms covered in green blood. Her tears had dried, but her eyes were still rimmed with red.

“I will come back for you!” I exclaimed, rearing Equius back onto his hind legs. “And I’ll be expecting an answer when I do!” Then I rode off, this time not turning back. I could barely hear her call of ‘soooo cooool’ in the distance.

I rode hard all the way back to Prospit. They let me into the gates without any trouble, and I trotted to the castle to report in. Equius seemed pleased to see Nepeta again, though it was hard to tell with animals.

I went to the knight masters quarters, hoping he would be in. He was, so I told him the first lie of my knighthood. “It wasn’t a witch after all, just a few wild wolves.”

He was unimpressed, as usual. He didn’t even swear as he dismissed me. As I left the castle, I didn’t notice Sir Scratch watching me with approval.

Then I went home. Bro and Rose seemed surprised to see me, but they welcomed me with open arms. I told them the truth about what had happened, and Bro seemed startled when I mentioned Aranea and Meenah. He asked if I met someone named Latula, but I told him I hadn’t. He didn’t pursue the subject or explain himself, so the topic died.

Rose kept asking me if this girl was ‘the one’, and at first I refused to answer. After deflecting the question 20 times, I finally gave in. Yes, she was ‘the one’, for as long as she would accept me, if she would accept me at all. Rose grinned smugly, and that was that.

As I went to bed that night, all I could think about was the witch girl I left behind.

My mind was dragged forcefully from these thoughts when Bro knocked on my door. He had just received word that the Queen was dead.

**Continued in City Life**


End file.
